CHAPTER 23: ZHOU YI

After passing through the defensive fence, the city’s atmosphere immediately changed.

The bloodstains on the road could not be completely washed clean because it had already faded into black. However, there was not even a glimpse of casually thrown garbage or junk piling up on the road, not at all like the bleak cold outside the fence. Although the buildings, the roads and the street lights in S City Base might seem a little shabby, there were people walking around and working from time to time. It was a vibrant scene. 

“Us, evolvers are centralized and now live at the New District by the coastal edge. There is also one third stationed at Huangpu River. Most of the mutant beasts from S City are concentrated in the oceans and rivers. The majority that was on land has already been cleaned up. The few that are still here have been handed over to those research personnel on the top to study”. The man who took the lead was called Zhou Yi. He was originally a citizen of S City. His apocalyptic evolution leaned towards the strength type and can be reckoned to be one of the very best in terms of offence. 

Qi Yang thoughtfully looked around and suddenly asked, “Your defence fence seems to have electricity? Can I know how you could ensure the supply and conduct of electricity as well as how to reduce the damage of electricity in this sort of situation?

Zhou Yi was just introducing the current situation of S City Base. After hearing Qi Yang’s question, he froze for a while but did not think too much, answering, “Our S City Base has two lightning ability evolvers. Amongst the two of them, one’s ability is very powerful, so we could supply electricity on a large scale”. After pausing, he added, “As for that circular exchange electric circuit, it was researched and then designed by Professor Qi. I’m also not too sure about the specifics. Anyway, it’s quite efficient. Oh, right, that defensive fence will only be imbued with electricity within the 12 hours between 6 o’clock in the evening and 6 o’clock the next day. There’s no electricity during other times”.

Qi Yang slowly hooked his lips, nodded and no longer spoke.

On the contrary, it was Zhou Yi who suddenly asked in surprise, “That’s not right ah. Now the electricity hasn’t been connected yet. Even if it is connected, a normal person shouldn’t be able to see that it’s carrying electricity, how did you know that the defence fence is carrying electricity?”

Qi Yang turned his head to look at the rows of buildings around him, without even the slightest intention to answer Zhou Yi’s question. Seeing the straightforward, irritable Zhou Yi was going to get angry, Jing Xia quickly said, “He’s not a normal person so you don’t need to care about him”. While speaking, Jing Xia pointed at Qi Yang’s shackled hands, “Here, you look. This person has just come out of the hospital, so he needs to be shackled. You don’t need to care about anything he says”.

Zhou Yi nodded, seemingly suddenly realising something, “It turns out that he’s a lunatic ah”.

He did not lower his voice at all. Naturally, it was also transmitted to Qi Yang’s ears. However, the latter did not seem to have the slightest intention to be angry. Instead, he revealed a disdainful smile. His eyebrows and eyes slightly bent, as if he was fond of the term “lunatic”.

“Right, I’m a little curious as to why there are still people living outside the defensive fence”. Seeing that he had already walked for a kilometer, Jing Xia could not help but ask, “The defence fence should’ve been established to protect one’s life, how could there be people living outside of it? It’s very unsafe like this”.

Due to Jing Xia’s appearance, Zhou Yi had a smile on his face the entire time but hearing Jing Xia’s words, Zhou Yi’s simple and pure smile suddenly fell. Zhou Yi’s well-defined face abruptly revealed an unsightly expression. Only for a good while did he say, “Actually, it’s not like this is some secret. You’re right. The defensive fence is part of the border of S City Base, and those ordinary people are living outside of the base”.

Hearing this, Jing Xia froze. He turned around with surprise and exchanged glances with Ji Chuancheng before continuing to ask, “Although these people don’t live near Jinghai and will not meet any extremely dangerous mutant beasts, they have not evolved. They don’t have the strength to resist mutant beasts. Being like this, isn’t it……” Jing Xia did not finish his words.

Zhou Yi sighed, “I’m afraid you guys don’t know. In S City, our position as evolvers was very awkward at the start. It could even be said we were to be…… shouted at and beaten by everyone. We were not approved by ordinary people, they even wanted to annihilate us. We worked hard for a very long time before we could get to the position we are in today. However, even if we take the main mission of defending against mutant beasts, there are still a portion of ordinary people who view us as abnormal”. His tone was flat yet carried a hint of gloominess and helplessness.

“And this portion of people, they rejected to live with us and also rejected our protection. So they didn’t enter S City Base, only living outside of the defence fence”. Pausing, Zhou Yi continued to say, “Of course, there are still some ordinary people inside who are not willing to participate in labour work and so they take the initiative to move outside”.

Zhou Yi only talked until here, unwilling to say more. Jing Xia was also surprised and did not ask anymore.

In his previous life, he had only left after experiencing a miserable and desperate beast tide in B City, coming to S City under the suggestion of Su Weishang. Midway, they had walked for a long time. When they arrived at S City Base, it had already been half a year since the mutation began and at this time, S City had already established a complete system for evolvers and evolution deserters to coexist. Although their relationship was still awkward and stiff, it was definitely not like the current incompatibility, in a state of mutual hostility and opposing each other.

Walking for approximately two kilometres because they had made a turn, they could no longer see the fence surrounding them. The sun set through the mountains, the earth suddenly darkened, following the elapse of time, the originally light blue sky ultimately silenced into darkness. 

The moonlight was not bright, only vague shadows of things could be seen at a distance of 200 meters.

Zhou Yi held a black flashlight, smiled, and said, “In S City, because there’s a lot of people, there might be some trouble. But there are also advantages in having a big place and that is there are more resources before the apocalypse”. While speaking, he pressed down on the rubber power switch. Immediately, a glaring ray of light emitted from the small torch. The light was extremely bright. The white light shot forward, only stopping until it shone upon the wall around 10 metres away.

“Torches like this have undergone remodelling by our S City Base’s researchers. They are more durable and can bear a ton of pressure”. 

Qi Yang suddenly made a hmph sound, sneering yet did not open his mouth.

Zhou Yi stared blankly and said, “Jing Xia, isn’t this friend of yours a little strange ah? Don’t tell me that he really came out of the hospital?”

Jing Xia casually shot Qi Yang a glance and said, “You can just treat him as a mute”. 

Zhou Yi, “……”

Qi Yang, “……”

Ji Chuancheng slightly raised his eyes and glanced towards Jing Xia. His complexion was just like before, indifferent and calm. Yet underneath contained a profound smiling expression and with his thin lips faintly curled, his handsome appearance became more gentle. But very quickly, he once again turned away his line of sight, continuing to seem as if he was just observing the surroundings without purpose.

Ever since Qin Chu and Yu Jie left, Ji Chuancheng always followed behind Jing Xia and Qi Yang, not saying a single word. If he wanted himself to disappear, then it seemed that he really lost his sense of existence, even Zhou Yi did not notice his existence. He hid his figure in the darkness, silently walking.

Because they had to conserve the electrical energy, once S City entered the night, it really seemed that it was shrouded in darkness. The moonlight was dim, stars were also rare. Originally the people who were still occasionally walking on the road also slowly disappeared. In the end, only a few people were left, still hurrying home.

Zhou Yi brought Jing Xia’s group to walk for another approximately one kilometre. Finally, they stopped in front of an ordinary two storey small building. He first walked forward, smiling, talking to the shrivelled, dark and short man. Then he brought the other to Jing Xia, introducing him, “This is an evolver from our base. His evolution direction is regarding speed and agility, there is also some evolution in his strength. We still have some distance from the general headquarters so I asked him to bring us to the headquarters. It’s a bit faster like this”.

Jing Xia seized up that dark, skinny man for a while. After discovering that this person was the same as Zhou Yi, an unfamiliar face, he directed his attention away. He nodded and said, “Ok, I’ll trouble you then”.

Although he felt sorry for the other person, Jing Xia also knew that S City Base’s general headquarters was next to the Huangpu River. There is still some distance from their current location. So he did not reject it. The group stepped onto the old rickshaw. Before they had even stood firm, that thin man lifted the bar in front of the rickshaw and ran.

Jing Xia’s footing was unsteady and almost fell. He suddenly felt a warm, powerful arm pulling him up and then tightly held his hand. Jing Xia subconsciously nodded as his gaze fell into a pair of deep, quiet pupils. He could not help but stare blankly. Only after a long time did he recover, quietly saying, “Thank you”. 

Ji Chuancheng slightly shook his head, “Be more careful”.

Jing Xia gave two light coughs, and then calmly pulled his hand from Ji Chuancheng’s grasp, supporting himself against the half-person-height iron railing, steadying himself. He lowered his head, not noticing Ji Chuangcheng who narrowed his eyes due to Jing Xia’s movements, quickly recovering to normal.

The sound of the wind whistled past Jing Xia’s ear. The slightly cold evening wind in the autumn night caressed his somewhat long hair backwards. The moist ocean flavour mixed with the air, hiding danger under its calm. The little black dumpling on Jing Xia’s head desperately held onto his hair, his chubby body was swaying right and left in the violent night wind. Nearly thrown off a few times.

“Jiji!”

Jing Xia answered, taking the mutant hamster off his head, with disdainful words in his mouth yet his hands were gentle and earnest, “Keep pulling at my hair, if I turn bald like a middle aged man, I’ll shave all your fur off, becoming a hairless mouse”.

“QAQ jiji……”

After bowing its small head twice in Jing Xia’s palm, acting coquettishly, it chirped and twisted its little body, finding a proper place to stand up with difficulty. Its eyes emitted light, curiously taking in the strange yet beautiful steel city.

“You said that you previously came from B City, that’s actually pretty far,” Zhou Yi looked at Jing Xia and the little black dumpling’s interactions, smiled and said, “However, last month, two people from B City also came to our S City Base. They were also all evolvers, indeed, it is quite rare”.

Jing Xia was originally watching the little black ball acting silly, suddenly hearing these words, his entire body stiffened.

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T/N NOTE:
LIN: Late but here!

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